Monday, August 26, 2013

"I'm quickly going to go to the photo shop. I'll be back in a jiffy," Jason said to his new bride.

"Honey, with this traffic, it will take you half an hour to cross the road. We are not at home, you know," Sharona replied with a smile.

"Yes… I know. When in Costa Rica, do as the ticos do."

"You know, those potholes don't exactly slow them down, so be careful when you cross the road."

"Yes, Mom." Jason grinned and then left.

Sharona quickly dressed. She went to Casa del Café, a coffee shop in the Marriot Hotel they were staying at, which overlooked the main street. She hoped to catch Jason on his way back and have a cup of coffee with him. The streets were filled with locals, as well as tourists visiting San José. Here, like in most Latin countries, people had very little respect for traffic laws, but Jason knew that.

Sharona sipped on a cup of java when she noticed Jason on the other side of the street. She waved, trying to get his attention. He noticed her and waved back, smiling. He glanced to the left and then the right, and then took one step, looking at Sharona's smiling face.

Tires screeched, Sharona heard a loud thud and people started to scream. Sharona looked at the crowd that had gathered in the street. Her trembling hands covered her stifled scream as she got up from her chair. She ran out of the coffee shop, pushing and shoving patrons out of the way, and ran to reach the crowd. Jason lay in the street with blood pooling around his head, his eyes staring at the blue sky above.

###

"I'm sorry to do this, ma'am, but was your husband an organ donor?" the nurse asked.

"Yes," Sharona answered, handing her Jason's ID card.

She sat alone in the steely white waiting room smelling of disinfectant. This was not how she had imagined her honeymoon would end. They'd been in love for so long; she had never imagined that it would end this way.

The nurse came running back to her with a stack of forms she had to sign. At the top of each form, "Hospital La Catolica" was written in bold red letters. She signed every single one of the pages without reading them. The nurse gently stroked her shoulder.

"We have contacted the next of kin, Mr. Edward Black. He will take the first available flight to San José."

It suddenly hit Sharona that they hadn't even had the opportunity to change any of their personal details. All of Jason's documents still listed his father as his next of kin. She let out a silent cry, covering her face with her hands. The nurse sat next to her and gently rubbed her back, trying to console her.